Juniper Campground
For large groups visiting Bandelier National Monument, the group campsites at Juniper Family Campground are the ideal place to stay. Juniper Family Campground has two group sites that can hold 10-20 campers. Located just inside the main park entrance, the campground is a short drive from the Visitor Center, the Frijoles Canyon Shuttle bus system, and the adjacent town of Los Alamos. The campground has indoor restrooms with running water but no showers, picnic tables, grills, firerings, and food lockers. A trailhead is accessible from the campground as well.
From mid-May to mid-October, the Shuttle bus system is in service, running between the Visitor Center in Frijoles Canyon, the amphitheater parking area in Juniper Family Campground, and the White Rock Visitor Center in White Rock, NM. Access into Frijoles Canyon and the Visitor Center is by shuttle bus only and private vehicle traffic is prohibited. Campers at Juniper Family Campground are permitted to drive into the campground.
Restrooms with running water and water spigots with potable water are centrally located in the Juniper Family Campground loops. Picnic tables, firerings, grills, and food lockers are provided at both group campsites. No hookup campsites are available. Shade is limited. There is an RV dump station on the road into the campground, however water at the dump station is turned off during winter months (no filling water tanks or dumping: mid-October to mid-April). During the summer months a camp host is present in the campground. Each group campsite is for tent camping only and has ample space for mulitple tents. Only one (1) RV or trailer is permitted per site. Each site can accommodate 10-20 campers.
The Frijoles Canyon shuttle system (mid-May to mid-October) includes a stop at the Amphitheater parking area located in the Juniper Family Campground. The shuttle can be ridden free of charge and offers service into Frijoles Canyon, stopping at the Visitor Center. Private vehicle traffic into Frijoles Canyon is prohibited while the shuttle is in service.
During the summer months, interpretive programs may be offered during the day at the Visitor Center and in the evening at the Amphitheater located in the campground. Check the Visitor Center for program schedule.
Check-in time for campground is 4:00 pm.
Check-out time for the campround is 11:30 a.m.
Need to Know
Separate park entrance fees are required. Entrance passes are valid for seven days. America the Beautiful Interagency Passes and Bandelier Annual Passes are accepted. For complete fee schedule, visit: Fees at Bandelier
The use of all vehicles (including bicycles and trailers) is restricted to the parking area. All vehicles belonging to campers must be parked in the designated parking spots for the occupied campsite. Overflow vehicles must be parked in Juniper Family Campground overflow lots.
Bears are known to be active in Bandelier National Monument. Please keep food, garbage and scented items locked up and unavailable to wildlife. Bear lockers are provided in the campground for storage of these items.
This facility is by reservation only. There are no first-come, first-serve sites.
Camping at the group campsites in Juniper Family Campground is for groups of 10-20 persons per site. Camping is permitted only in the campsite for which campers have a reservation.
Group campsites at Juniper Family Campground are for tent camping only. Only one (1) RV per site. Pop-up trailers count as a recreational vehicle.
No shower or laundry facilities located in the campground or in the park.
Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 6:00am and will be strictly enforced. All areas beyond campsites are closed after dusk to all public use. Generators may be used only from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Group sports (volleyball, horseshoes, etc) are prohibited at campsites.
Digging or any other soil disturbance at campsites prohibited.
Possession and/or use of fireworks or metal detectors is prohibited.
Use of firearms is strictly prohibited and they may not be carried inside of government buildings.
Pets are permitted in the campground, picnic area, and parking lot only and must be leashed at all times. Pets are not allowed on any hiking trails within the park.
Gathering firewood is prohibited. During hot and dry summer months, fire restrictions are common and campfires and charcoal fires may be prohibited. Check park website or contact the Visitor Center for information on current fire restrictions.
- Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.
Natural Features
Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged, beautiful canyon and mesa country which features evidence of human presence going back over 11,000 years. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.
Bandelier National Monument sits at the southern end of the Pajarito (Spanish for little bird) Plateau. The plateau was formed by two eruptions 1.6 and 1.4 million years ago. Home to the Bandelier Wilderness, Bandelier ranges from 5340 ft at the Rio Grande River to the south and 10,199 ft at the summit of Cerro Grande to the north, almost a mile of elevation change in just under 12 miles. This elevation gradient creates a unique diversity of habitats specific to Northern New Mexico. The diversity of habitats and quick access to water supported a relatively large population of Ancestral Pueblo people. Currently, Piñon-Juniper woodlands dominate in the southern parts of the park transitioning through ponderosa pine savannahs and forests, finally reaching mixed conifer forests at the highest elevation. Scattered throughout the park are desert grasslands, montane meadows, and riparian areas in the canyon bottoms. Over 70 miles of trails at Bandelier climb in and out of deep canyons and cross large flat mesas, showcasing the entire spectrum of volcanic geology and ecosystems found within the park.
The park is home to over 55 species of mammals including mule deer, Abert's squirrels, mountain lions, black bears, and 16 species of bats. Replitles and amphibians of all shapes and sizes can be seen. Birds such as Steller's jays, canyon towhees and mountain chickadees stay year-round, whereas turkey vultures, western tanagers, and black-headed grosbeaks are summer residents.
Nearby Attractions
The town of Los Alamos has shopping, museums, amenities, a movie theater, ice rink, ski hill, and is home to Manhattan Project National Historic Site.
Nearby Department of Energy and US Forest Service lands provide trails which accommodate pets.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is 16 miles west of Bandelier.
Jemez Historic Site is 37 miles west.
Pecos National Historical Park is 70 miles southeast.
Santa Fe, 40 miles south of the park, is home to the New Mexico state capitol, museums, historic districts, art galleries, food, accomodations, and more.
Recreation
Bandelier is home to over 70 miles of hiking trails most of which are located within federally designated wilderness. Two trails are accessible directly from Juniper Family Campground. The Frey Trail follows the historic route into Frijoles Canyon and descends down the canyon wall to the Visitor Center and the Main Loop Trail. The Tyuonyi Overlook Trail leaves the amphitheater parking area for a 3/4-mile hike across the open mesa top to an overlook providing breathtaking views of Frijoles Canyon and of Tyounyi, an ancestral Pueblo village.
The Visitor Center houses museum exhibits, park film, information and ranger programs, Western National Parks Association sales outlet, and more. Entrance to Frijoles Canyon and the Visitor Center is by shuttle bus only (or by hiking) from mid-May to mid-October. These areas are accesibile by private vehicle outside the shuttle bus period.
Although rock climbing is prohibited within Bandelier National Monument, many popular climbs are within a short drive up Route 4 into the Jemez Mountains.
Contact Information
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15 Entrance Road Los Alamos NM 87544
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 505-672-3861
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
From Santa Fe (appx 1 hour travel time):
- Take Highway 84/285 (Saint Francis Drive) north toward Los Alamos.
- Merge right onto NM 502 to Los Alamos.
- Exit onto NM 4 toward White Rock.
- Continue for 12 miles, passing through White Rock.
- Bandelier's entrance is on the left. Enter here and purchase entrance pass(es) (or continue on Entrance Rd for 3 miles to the Visitor Center).
- Turn right onto Campground Rd
- Turn right to enter Abert's Squirrel Loop. Group campsites are on the right.
From Taos (appx. 1.5 hours travel time):
- Take NM 68 (Paseo del Pueblo Sur) south.
- In Espanola, turn right onto Fairway.
- Turn left on Highway 84/285.
- Turn right on NM 30.
- Merge right onto NM 502 to Los Alamos.
- Exit onto NM 4 toward White Rock.
- Continue for 12 miles, passing through White Rock.
- Bandelier's entrance is on the left. Enter here and purchase entrance pass(es) (or continue on Entrance Rd for 3 miles to the Visitor Center).
- Turn right onto Campground Rd
- Turn right to enter Abert's Squirrel Loop. Group campsites are on the right.
Available Campsites
- Site 001, Loop Abert's Squirrel Loop , Type Group Standard Nonelectric
- Site 005, Loop Abert's Squirrel Loop , Type Group Standard Nonelectric
